Keeper for locks and latches



March 2, 1943. vjr, M FlsHR 2,312,892

KEEPER Fon Lors AND LATcHEs Filed Oct. 23, 1941 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 2, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE KEEPER FOR LOOKS AND LATCHES Frances M. Fisher, Kansas City, Mo.

KApplication. October 23, 1941, Serial No. 416,198

1 Claim.

My invention relates to keepers for locks and latches, and refers more particularly to a filler piece or raised striker plate to be used where a door has been sprung or warped and the latch has become inoperable.

It frequently happens that the latch or lock of a door fails to properly cooperate with the openings provided in the striker plate. This maladjustment is usually the result of careless workmanship when the door is fitted or is the result of subsequent shrinkage or warping of the door. Also, it is not uncommon to find instances where the swinging edge of the door has sagged or dropped causing the latch and lock to register improperly with the striker plate openings.

Regardless of the cause, the above conditions are common and it is an important object of my invention to provide an auxiliary keeper member that may be secured to the jamb in superposed relation with the striker plate to eii'ect proper engagement with the latch and lock of the door.

Another object of my invention is to provide a keeper member of the above mentioned character that may be easily applied to the jamb and that is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a perspective view showing an auxiliary keeper plate, embodying my invention, mounted on a door jamb.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken. on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing which shows a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral Ill designates a door jamb. The jam is the upright portion of the frame which coincides with the swinging edge of the door. The jamb is formed in the conventional manner with stepped surfaces II, I2 and I3. The surfaces are separated by shoulders I5 and I6.

The auxiliary keeper plate member Il embodying my invention is fixedly secured to the surface I2 in superposed relation with the conventional striker plate 20. The keeper comprises an elongated plate of light weight metallic sheet material of the same or substantially the same width as the surface I2. The ends of the plate are joggled or offset as shown at 2l, and are xedly secured to the jamb by means of screws 22. The middle portion of the plate will thus be raised from the surface I2 to a position in closer proximity to the swinging edge of the door.

By reason of the fact that the auxiliary keeper plate may be formed from thin and inexpensive sheet metal, plates having their middle sections offset or raised to various heights may be manuiactured.

Before applying the keeper to the jamb the space between the jalnb and door is determined and a plate having a middle section offset a suitable distance to substantially ll the space is selected. The keeper openings 23 and 24 which align with the latch and lock openings I8 and I9 in the striker plate are relatively larger to allow for imperfections in fitting of the door. As the door swings to a closed position, the latch engages the lip of the striker plate 20 and is retracted. As the door is closed, the latch rides over the forward edge of the auxiliary plate and is further retracted. Finally, the latch drops into the opening 23 to securely hold the door in a closed position.

In order to strengthen and support the oiset middle portion of the auxiliary keeper and to prevent the same from being bent by the latch when the door is closed, I have provided fianges 25 and 26 at its longitudinal edges. The flange 25, integral with the rearward longitudinal edge, is bent downward and is of sufficient width to rest upon surface I2, thereby supporting stress or weight put on the raised mid-section of the plate. The opposite flange 26, integral with the forward edge of the plate, is of greater Width extending to surface II and thus supporting the front edge of the raised mid-section. A cutout in flange 26 accommodates the projecting lip of the striker plate 2D. Thus the flanges 25 and 26 longitudinally reinforce the offset middle section of the auxiliary keeper and hold the same spaced a requisite distance from the surface I2.

It will be appreciated that the extent to which the mid-section of the auxiliary keeper is offset is determined by the space between the edge of the door and the joint in order to assure engagement of the latch with the plate. The elongation of the openings 23 and 24 accommodate all door imperfections and failures of the latch and lock to register with the apertures in the plate.

The plate is formed of a single stamping and may therefore be inexpensively produced in large numbers. It is easily applied to the jamb of a striker plate of a door jamb, the jamb having stepped surfaces and the striker plate being mounted on one of said surfaces and having spaced recesses of rectangular cross section for receiving the door latch and lock bolts, comprising a plate having a middle portion provided with rectangular latch and lock openings, said openings being of substantially the same Width but considerably longer than the corresponding openings in the striker plate, oiset end portions and iianges between the end portions, said end portions and one of said flanges adapted to rest upon one surface of the jamb and the other of the flanges adapted to rest upon a lower surface of the jamb to rigidly support said portion spaced from the striker plate.

FRANCES M. FISI-IER,` 

